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©AFP/Getty Images / Rob Carr

A Super Bowl program vendor is seen prior to the start of Super Bowl XLVI

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (AFP) - Thousands of spectators crowded into downtown Indianapolis on an unseasonably warm and sunny Sunday, sampling dozens of pre-game parties and concerts hours before Super Bowl 46.

The New England Patriots and New York Giants were set to play for the National Football League crown in the annual gridiron championship spectacle that features a half-time concert by Madonna.

Spectators began filling 68,000 seats at Lucas Oil Stadium more than four hours before kickoff, navigating through metal detectors and pat downs as part of the most technologically advanced security system in Super Bowl history.

Spectators crowding into party areas a few blocks from the stadium could admire turf artwork and ice sculpture. A zipline has proven the most popular if intimidating attraction amid the hoopla.

Restaurants filled quickly, television stars and musicians drawing ooohs and aahs as they mingled with local customers who had never been so close to such celebrities.

©AFP/Getty Images / Win Mcnamee

New England Patriots fans John Irsom (R) and Nathan Pipoh enter the stadium

Parking lots near the stadium were charging $300 to $400 for every car. Spots could be had for $75 to $100 for those who didn't mind a longer walk to the stadium, where tickets had a face value of $800 and $1,200 and internet resale values of $4,000 and up.

Volunteers directed out-of-town visitors, who were expected to add 150,000 people this weekend in a city of 820,000 citizens, displaying "Hoosier Hospitality" with their smiles and "Have a Super Day" greetings.

Indianapolis is only the third cold-weather market to host a Super Bowl in a domed stadium, joining Minneapolis and Detroit. Adding to the novelty is a compact staging area for lavish parties over the past few days.

Another feature debuting this year was a sponsors-only enclave, the Union Station shops converted for the week into an escape from the thousands who jammed the nearby streets, at times prompting police to limit crowds in certain areas.

From reggae to rock and roll, bands were booked into the Super Bowl Village, a three-block walk that brought a feel similar to a Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl area.

©AFP/Getty Images / Rob Carr

New York Giants fans wear a giant Jim Cordle jersey in Indianapolis

Organizers thought of everything, but the outdoor heaters have seldom been needed in a surprisingly warm week.

Early arrivers at the stadium were greeted with Indiana-themed music, notably the Indianapolis 500 auto race staple "Back Home Again in Indiana" and "Going Back to Indiana" by a young Michael Jackson.

The city's auto racing ties were also on view at a restaurant featuring IndyCars, motorcycles, midget cars and even a small plane suspended in the air.

The teams at the center of the show arrived on buses through a tight security corridor, taking their spots in the locker room while an NFL Super Bowl television special played over the stadium's giant telescreens, recapping the journey both clubs undertook to arrive in the championship game.